27 April 2011

Review: Forget You by Jennifer Echols

Title: Forget You
Author: Jennifer Echols
Publisher: MTV
Published: 20th July 2010
Source: eBook

WHY CAN’T YOU CHOOSE WHAT YOU FORGET . . . AND WHAT YOU REMEMBER? There’s a lot Zoey would like to forget. Like how her father has knocked up his twenty-four- year old girlfriend. Like Zoey’s fear that the whole town will find out about her mom’s nervous breakdown. Like darkly handsome bad boy Doug taunting her at school. Feeling like her life is about to become a complete mess, Zoey fights back the only way she knows how, using her famous attention to detail to make sure she’s the perfect daughter, the perfect student, and the perfect girlfriend to ultra-popular football player Brandon. But then Zoey is in a car crash, and the next day there’s one thing she can’t remember at all—the entire night before. Did she go parking with Brandon, like she planned? And if so, why does it seem like Brandon is avoiding her? And why is Doug—of all people— suddenly acting as if something significant happened between the two of them? Zoey dimly remembers Doug pulling her from the wreck, but he keeps referring to what happened that night as if it was more, and it terrifies Zoey to admit how much is a blank to her. Controlled, meticulous Zoey is quickly losing her grip on the all-important details of her life—a life that seems strangely empty of Brandon, and strangely full of Doug.

OK, OK, I admit it. I love Jennifer Echols and contemporary YA fiction. This book to me was heaven and I tried to read it as slowly as possible to spin out my enjoyment. Unfortunately I ripped through this novel in a couple of hours.

Zoey has to be perfect and have everything around her perfect, this does not make for a lovable lead character, but early on in the novel Zoey's world is flipped upside down giving us the opportunity to see through her barriers to the more likable and honest girl underneath. It did not take me long to get swept up into Zoey's world and enjoy seeing all the mistakes made along the way. As with Going to Far you see Zoey's mistakes and sometimes find you want to shout at and shake her. However this all just adds to Zoey's character and helps you see how she grows throughout the book.

In this novel Zoey loses her memory in an accident. I thought this was beautifully told. As the story is written in the first person we also have no knowledge of the period in question which is missing from her memory. We also only ever see Zoey's side of the story with her conclusions and assumptions for situations. I like that we never know what Doug is thinking, this makes his actions unpredictable and keeps you on edge.

I love the writing of Jennifer Echols and this book did not disappoint me. I preferred Going to Far due to the chemistry and, hello, John After! However this did not disappoint and I recommend to anyone who likes, or would like to try, contemporary YA fiction.

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Breaking the Spine where we can show the books we are eagerly awaiting released.

This week's choice for me is - 

Title: Where She Went
Author: Gayle Forman
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Published: April 5th 2011

From Goodreads:
It's been three years since the devastating accident ... three years since Mia walked out of Adam's life forever.Now living on opposite coasts, Mia is Julliard's rising star and Adam is LA tabloid fodder, thanks to his new rock star status and celebrity girlfriend. When Adam gets stuck in New York by himself, chance brings the couple together again, for one last night. As they explore the city that has become Mia's home, Adam and Mia revisit the past and open their hearts to the future - and each other.
Told from Adam's point of view in the spare, lyrical prose that defined If I Stay, Where She Went explores the devastation of grief, the promise of new hope, and the flame of rekindled romance.



I know this  book has already been released but having just finished If I Stay I can't wait to get my hands on this book and start reading!!

26 April 2011

Review: Jane by April Linder

Title: Jane
Author: April Linder
Publisher: Poppy
Published: 23rd September 2010
Source: eBook

Forced to drop out of an esteemed East Coast college after the sudden death of her parents, Jane Moore takes a nanny job at Thornfield Park, the estate of Nico Rathburn, an iconic rock star on the brink of a huge comeback. Practical and independent, Jane reluctantly becomes entranced by her magnetic and brooding employer, and finds herself in the midst of a forbidden romance. But there's a mystery at Thornfield, and Jane's much-envied relationship with Nico is tested by a torturous secret from his past.
Part irresistible romance and part darkly engrossing mystery, this contemporary retelling of the beloved classic Jane Eyre promises to enchant a new generation of readers.

I LOVE Jane Eyre. It is the perfect novel to pick up on a cold day and I usually manage to read it start to finish curled up in my armchair in a couple of days. Bearing this in mind I was quite excited to jump into this book and see how it could be retold based in modern day. Jane Eyre the quiet and awkward governess becomes Jane Moore the collage student who takes a nanny job after the death of her parents makes her unable to continue her studies. Mr Rochester becomes Nico Rathburn rock god with a troubled past. I had a little difficulty with the Mr Rochester character. I the original book Rochester is a difficult and mean man with a teasing and charming side to him. In Jane Eyre it works and through the reading of the story you fall in love with his character but for me Nico Rathburn was difficult, mean and teased Jane but I found it impossible to find him charming.

This was not the only the only thing I had problems with in this novel. If you have not read Jane Eyre and know nothing about the story, this next paragraph my spoil part of the plot for you!!

One of my favorite things about the book is that it has something for everyone, an awkward romance, a crazy wife locked in the attic, a smattering of attempted bigamy, death and good old fashioned arson. This all worked for the time period it was set in. You could understand only 2 people knowing that Mr Rochester had a crazy wife locked in the attic. However I did not feel that this played so well in the present day, especially when the main character lives in the public eye and he was married to a beautiful woman. For me this was just too much of a jump that everyone forgot he was married before.

With all that out of my system I did not dislike this book. I thought that the rest of the story was well told for the present day. I especially enjoyed the period later on in the book where Jane was apart from Nico. I think this book would be a great introduction to Jane Eyre for anyone interested in the story. On the whole I enjoy reworkings of classic books, unfortunately I think this classic is just to close to my heart for me to be completely on board with all the modernisations.

24 April 2011

Update

Hola Chicas, 

After a glorious 2 week holiday in Gran Canaria with my family I am back and slightly burned from all my reading in the sun. I managed to rack up reading 13 and a 1/2 books during my holiday, all I can say is thank goodness for my kindle!! 

Over the next few weeks I will be posting all the reviews for these books and all the others I have been meaning to review for ages. Just to give you a taster of what is to come here is a list of the books I read while frying in the sun...

1. Sloppy Firsts - Megan McCafferty
2.Second Helpings - Megan McCafferty
3. The Summer I Turned Pretty - Jenny Han
4. It's Not Summer Without You - Jenny Han
5. Hex Hall - Rachel Hawkins
6. Vampire Academy Book 1 - Richelle Mead
7. The Forrest of Hands and Feet - Carrie Ryan
8. If I Stay - Gayle Forman
9. Hush, Hush - Becca Fitzpatrick
10. Hereafter - 
11. Before I Fall - Lauren Oliver
12. Beastly (Movie Tie-in Edition) - Alex Finn
13. Forgive My Fins - Tera Lynn Childs
14. Lock and Key - Sarah Dressen (I am currently still reading this)


Check back in with you soon,
Ems